


Numeron Coded

by Checklatechippancakes



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Gen, Kaito is mentioned a lot but only by word, Shun never has a good time in my fics, au where all the characters in their respective dimensions are canon, local man still not over what the ending did to shun, timeskip- one year
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 13:33:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17245148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Checklatechippancakes/pseuds/Checklatechippancakes
Summary: It's been a year since the war, a year since Shun lost Ruri and Yuuto. He can't help but want to fight someone, but two little guardian angels will help him get back on track, even if it involves talking about loss.





	Numeron Coded

Shun sat on the bank of the Heartland River, staring out to the caramelized water. The sun was setting and he should have probably set out for home hours ago, but the weight in his heart kept him sitting, longing. A lone duck paddled through the river, Shun’s eyes transfixed, but the second the duck joined its pair of duck friends, he couldn’t stand to look at it any longer.

It had been about a year since the war. Months since the win- for the most part. Synchro and Pendulum? Definite win. No real destruction (except maybe that stadium, but that was his, not the war’s, fault) or anything. Fusion? Other than the clear ptsd and teenagers with no actual applicable skills or goals in their lives? How much did they actually lose? XYZ? Pyrrhic victory didn’t even come close to describing it. XYZ was still recovering. The city was destroyed with no remorse and there was barely anything more than apology given to recover. Their world was ruined.

_Shun’s world was ruined._

“Hey Kurosaki!” A voice Shun only barely recognized called from the top of the hill. His head turned back slightly, eyes catching the bright magenta prongs. One of Yuuto’s friends. He never really got to know him much. What was his name? It sounded like Yuuya-

“Yuuma, let’s go,” the girl with him said, tugging on the arm that wasn’t waving at Shun. Kotori. That was her name. Shun liked it because it had ‘bird’ in it. Shame she didn’t use a bird deck as well. She was one of Sayaka’s friends. Their decks were so similar that Shun thought they were sharing a deck until he watched them duel against each other. _Kotori and Yuuma_. Hard to see them in those blue uniforms.

Despite Kotori’s protest, Yuuma bounded down the hill, tripping and rolling towards where Shun sat. He blinked at the younger boy, who was dazed from the fall. All that energy was hard to come by nowadays. “Hey Tsukumo. I’m surprised you recognized me,” he put on a teasing smile, looking right at the blue of his tie, “but not as surprised in the fact you managed to not get held back.”

Yuuma scoffed, hands on his hips, pouting as Kotori walked down the hill, giggling. “Sorry to bother you, Kurosaki,” Kotori said, gripping Yuuma’s shoulder quite tightly, “you look busy in…” Kotori looked at her feet, recalling what Sayaka told her. About how poorly he was taking the loss of Ruri and Yuuto. “ _Thought_.”

Shun shrugged, picking up on her poorly hidden body language. “It’s fine.” He stared at the river, ducks long gone. Gone together. “A friend of mine said I should get out more. I think he meant I should talk to people, but I always find myself back here.”

“I love this river,” Yuuma said, eyes twinkling as he watched the sun set. “I’ve met a lot of friends at this river.” His face fell, still holding onto its smile. “Lost a few here too. This river breaks my heart, but fixes it back up.” He smiled to Shun, Kotori’s grip slacking until she let go. “I think it’s a healing river. A river for those looking to the future.”

“Kaito,” Shun said, both looking towards him, “Kaito mentioned himself… dying.” Yuuma and Kotori exchanged pained looks, thrown back to years ago. It was unreasonable to expect they would forget the duel on the moon, but they tried. “I thought he was kidding, but…” He held tightly onto the red scarf as it blew through the cold wind. Kaito ditched his as soon as he felt the warmth of his younger brother hugging him again after so long, but Shun still felt like he was fighting. No clear enemy, but he was fighting something. Fate? It was petty, and he was sure Ruri would scold him for it, but if she was here, he wouldn’t have a drive to fight, would he? “I’ve seen people become cards and come back…” He looked at Yuuma, sorrowful eyes meeting his own. “Do you know what happened?”

“Kaito…” Kotori spoke up instead, Yuuma still choked up, “we watched him die on- okay this sounds like a lie-” She shook her head, unsure how to say what happened without it sounding _still_ more insane than the most recent war. “Kaito died fighting Mizael, one of the Barian Emperors, a few years ago. Mizael… he was a dragon tamer from China hundreds of years ago, but reincarnated into an alien-” She drifted off, feeling the weight of both of their stares on her. “I lost you didn’t I?”

Shun gave a small smile. “I’ve met a lot of strange people in my travels across the dimensions; a couple with hilariously themed matching decks, dueling ninjas, twins who probably could have kicked my ass if I didn’t have cards, and lots of idiots in capes. I don’t think reincarnating aliens is too out there.” As if magnetically, his eyes turned back to the water. The sun was practically melting into the water. “If he died, why is he here? I can understand why Kaito wouldn’t have told me everything, but…” The first time Kaito accidentally mentioned it, Shun probably wouldn’t have believed him anyways. Dying and coming back. Reincarnating into someone else was believable, but coming back from the dead?

The pair were silent. More silent than before. Finally Yuuma spoke up. “The Numeron Code.” Shun looked at him, silently encouraging him on. “The Numeron Code brought him- and my other friends- back.” He smiled, hands nestling into his lap, trying to block out the cold air. “Like a giant reset button.”

“Do you still know it!?” Shun asked, grabbing Yuuma’s shoulder’s turning him towards him. “Can you still bring people back!?”

Yuuma wriggled out of the tight grasp, rubbing at his shoulder once he was free. “Kurosaki, I’m sorry, I really am, but I can’t. I mean, I don’t _know_ if I can. I haven’t seen the Numeron Code since…” He exhaled, gripping his jacket. “Since I lost Astral.” He looked up to Shun sadly. “I know what happened to Yuuto and Ruri. I’m sorry. I was just… too early, I guess. You know I’d do anything to see them again too.”

Shun’s shoulders dropped, eyes closing. “No I’m sorry. Sorry for dragging you into this.” His eyes opened again, glancing at him. “And for grabbing you. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Shun diverted his eyes from Yuuma as he and Kotori stood up. “Yuuto was your friend too. Of course you’re hurting as well.” He accepted Yuuma’s outstretched hand, being pulled up to stand with them. “It’s late. You kids should get going.” He smirked, almost feeling like his old self. Himself before the war. “Run along, or Mr. Heartland will catch you.”

Yuuma coughed, the pair looking away. “Yeah. Him. About that- anyways.” Yuuma and Kotori ran up the hill, turning back at the top to face him, seeing he hadn’t followed yet. “Hey Kurosaki?”

Shun looked up, Yuuma’s face illuminated by the lamp posts switching on as it turned to dusk. “Yes?”

“ _Kattobingu_.” With that, another pair of ducks ran off into the night; Shun separated, but not completely alone.


End file.
